The White Wolf and the Cunning Fox
by The Prince's Bride
Summary: The proud and formidable Ravus has never found anyone worthy being in a long-term relationship with. However, after fighting alongside Ignis, Ravus cannot get Ignis out of his mind. Has he finally found someone worthy of pursuit? Set right before the "Branch of Fate" in E:Ignis and follows the alternate ending. Constructive criticism welcome, my first fanfic in a long time.
1. Chapter 1 - The Branch of Fate

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the characters or concepts of Final Fantasy XV. This story will be mainly told from Ravus' point-of-view. Although I like Gladnis aesthetically and Ignoct emotionally, since playing Episode Ignis, I cannot get these two out of my head! As there's not as many stories focusing on this pairing, I figured I'd play around with them a bit :-P

Rated as Teen for now, but there will be smut eventually. I will change the rating when that time comes.

Reviews and constructive criticism are welcome. This is the first fanfic I have written in many years, none since 2006, so I am a bit rusty... the contents of this story are subject to change at any time. Thanks for reading. :-)

 **Chapter 1 - The Branch of Fate  
**

"Permit me to make a suggestion. Rather than follow this flotsam and float away to a watery grave, why not come with me?" Ardyn probed with a smirk, extending his hand toward the subdued Ignis. "What do you say?"

"I… I…" Ignis stammered, glancing helplessly between Ardyn and Noctis.

Ravus, rendered incapacitated by the pain inflicted by impact of Ardyn's dark, daemonic powers, watched in intrigue as the young strategist struggled to make a decision. _What decision will he make to protect his King?_ Ravus wondered in empathy, remembering having to make similar decisions to protect his sister from the empire's clutches. _If only I could help and make Ardyn pay for all the suffering he has caused!_

Ardyn turned to look toward Ravus, who feigned unconsciousness. Ravus watched in suppressed awe as Ignis grabbed the Ring of the Lucii.

"I… will go with you," Ignis finally said in exasperation before passing out in exhaustion.

 _Hmm, a reckless plan indeed,_ Ravus thought to himself. He had an idea of what Ignis planned, and he hoped with all his might that the Ring would not disfigure Ignis as it had him. He could not bear the thought of it after having fought by his side and witnessing firsthand the unwavering devotion that he held toward Noctis… and the fact that Ravus was starting to feel a peculiar fondness toward the younger strategist.

"Ah yes, everything is going according to my plan," Ardyn stated. "With his beloved retainer in my possession in Gralea, the Chosen King will have no choice but to come and face his destiny. Then, I can finally have my revenge against the Lucis Caelem bloodline and the Crystal." Turning to the magitek soldiers, he commanded them, "Bring the retainer to my ship. We will depart for Zegnautus Keep at once!"

Ravus waited until Ardyn and the magitek soldiers were out of his sight before struggling to get up. Using his sword and his magitek arm, Ravus pushed himself up. Searing hot pain radiated from his back, causing him to stop and gasp. Finally on his feet, he walked slowly toward Noctis.

"Noct! Iggy!" Ravus heard a deep voice yell, remembering it belonging to the Shield of the King.

"Where are you guys?" he heard Noctis' other friend call out.

Ravus knelt beside Noctis, yelling out to his friends, "The King lies here."

Noct's friends came running, surprised to see Ravus kneeling beside Noct and even more surprised to hear him call Noct the King.

"Heh, where did this sudden change of heart come from?" the Shield asked Ravus.

"No time to explain. Forgive me, I do not recall your names. However, we must hurry at once to my airship. Ignis is in grave danger. Ardyn has taken him to Zegnautus Keep in Gralea. Ignis has the Ring of the Lucii in his possession and I have an idea of what he is planning," Ravus said hurriedly, gazing at his magitek arm. "If my suspicions are correct, at best, your friend will be severely injured and disfigured. At worst, he will die."

"Oh no, this is bad!" the blonde friend wailed.

"What the hell is he thinking?!" the Shield cried out. He slung the unconscious Noct over his shoulder and exclaimed, "Lead the way, Ravus. I've got him."

"Keep up, don't get left behind. I will not wait for you," Ravus said and began to run toward the ruined Altissia.

As they ran through the city, the Shield said, "I'm Gladiolus, or Gladio for short. He's Prompto."

"Or you can also call him Big Guy," Prompto said jokingly. "Hey, thanks for helping us! What can we call you for short? Rav or Ravi?"

"I think not," Ravus stated curtly, "You may call me Ravus. If you must call me anything else, my former soldiers and my enemies refer to me as 'The White Wolf'." He flashed his teeth at them in a harsh smirk, knowing that he earned that name not only for the white wolf insignia on his magitek arm but also for his strength, agility and wild ferocity in battle.

"Jeez, okay then, Raaavus," Prompto sighed in exasperation.

"Shut it, Prompto. Let's just be thankful that Ravus is actually helping us out, although I don't know why," Gladio said.

As the trio ran through the ruined streets of Altissia and passed by the decimated remains of countless magitek soldiers, coeurls and MA Pisces, Ravus could not help but reminisce about Ignis. How the two had complimented each other so well in battle, spinning around each other to cover each others' backs or working together to bring down massive magitek bots. How Ignis gracefully pirouetted and spun around his enemies like an acrobat or ballet dancer yet fought with a ferocity that matched that of the White Wolf. How Ignis' elegance and refinement in taking down his enemies strategically with his elemental spell daggers helped offset the White Wolf's aggressive yet authoritative and dominant fighting style. How, when he lashed out at Noctis in anger at losing the only thing left worth living for, his beloved sister Luna, Ignis loyally fought him off without any fear in his gorgeous emerald eyes, despite being physically weaker than him. Yes, he thought of Ignis' lithe, supple form, athletically dodging just about every blow, slash and lightning bolt he threw at him. _Like a cunning fox,_ Ravus thought to himself.

Although many have pursued Ravus in the past, the White Wolf never pursued anyone in turn, not finding any of his former lovers worthy of the hunt for a long-term mate. Among his would-be suitors were numerous dignitaries, high-ranking officers, soldiers, common folk, even members of the Kingsglaive, both male and female. He would use them for pleasure, never committing to a long-term committed relationship. Although he would always state up front that he was only for looking for sex and not a relationship, he still could not avoid leaving many broken hearts in his wake.

This fondness and admiration he felt for Ignis was unlike anything he had ever felt before. He was too proud to tell Gladio and Prompto the true reason why he changed his mind about Noctis: that the loyalty and devotion Ignis displayed toward Noctis was what convinced him to accept Noctis as the One True King. He also did not want to tell them that he was not really helping them out as much as he wanted to save Ignis, so that he could perhaps receive some of that same devotion and loyalty from Ignis that he showed toward Noctis. _Perhaps I have finally found myself one worthy of the hunt. My little cunning fox…,_ Ravus thought to himself.

Realizing how long he had been daydreaming, he looked back at Gladio and Prompto with a start, who were still following him. Thank the Gods they did not notice his aloofness or his flushing face.

"Ah, here we are. I'm impressed you were able to keep up after all," Ravus said coolly, pushing Ignis out of his mind for the time being. "Come aboard, there is a bed inside you can lay Noctis down on."

Pushing a button on a remote at his hip, the door to his airship, _The Phoenix,_ opened. The trio boarded and prepared to set off toward Gralea.


	2. Chapter 2 - The Awakening

Note: This chapter has a lot of exposition and ended up being a lot longer than I intended at first. Again, thanks for reading and I hope you all enjoy it! :-)

 **Chapter 2 – The Awakening**

"Whoa, this thing's amazing! It's a lot bigger on the inside than it looks!" Prompto said, looking around the airship with Gladiolus in wonder. The entrance ramp of _The Phoenix_ opened up into a lounge which featured 4 fully reclinable leather seats with fold-out personal tables and cupholders, a large flat-screen TV, a sofa and loveseat with coffee tables and a fully stocked bar. Huge, crystalline windows and skylights let in natural sunlight for the ship.

"Indeed," Ravus replied matter-of-factly. He then turned toward Gladio and pointed toward the first door to the left, "You may lay Noctis down on the bed in the guest bedroom if you wish."

"You got it," Gladio replied, opening the door. "This ship is one of the most luxurious things I've ever seen." Gladio gingerly set Noct down on the soft bed, decorated with fine white, purple and black linens and stuffed with the finest Zu down.

"Hmph, what did you expect? _The Phoenix_ is of Tenebraen-make, customized to my fancy," Ravus stated. When he was promoted to High Commander of the Imperial Army, Ravus had been offered a much larger airship by the Niflheim empire. However, Ravus opted to continue flying his _Phoenix,_ much preferring his home country's smaller, sleeker and luxurious airships over the cold, stark, industrial, black flying tanks issued by the Empire. Sure, they offered more protection, but Ravus appreciated the maneuverability, speed and stealth afforded by his ship. In addition, his ship hosted many comforts from home, including the aforementioned lounge area and guest bedroom, guest bathroom, a fully functional kitchen, master bedroom and master bathroom. Truly, _The Phoenix_ was an airship fit for the former prince of Tenebrae.

"Whoa, even the guest bathroom is full of features!" Prompto exclaimed, marveling at the gold and marble aesthetic of the bathroom, which included a full bath and shower.

"Follow me and let the King sleep for now. I will show you the kitchen, then we must take off quickly if we are to save your friend," Ravus said, leading the duo out of the guest bedroom back into the lounge. He opened the door to the kitchen, pointing out the fridge, stove, coffee press and brewer and microwave, saying, "As guests aboard my ship, you may help yourselves to whatever you like in my kitchen. You will find that it is fully stocked with the finest fresh fruits, vegetables, meats, seafood, spices, and beverages. Use whatever you may need to cook yourselves and His Highness a fine meal while I pilot the ship."

"Uhh, do you have any Cup Noodles?" Gladio asked, looking through the pantry.

"What?!" Ravus exclaimed incredulously. "Of course not! Why would I carry such bland, unhealthy, pitiable food, if you can even call it food, aboard my ship?"

"How dare you insult Cup Noodles!" Gladio bellowed at Ravus. "Of course, what did I expect from the snooty, stuck-up former prince of Tenebrae? You just don't know what you're missing."

"Do not try to insult me unless you want a repeat of what happened at the Aracheole Stronghold," Ravus threatened. "Truly, the only people who would enjoy Cup Noodles would be unsophisticated swine who do not know the difference between fine cooking and pig slop."

"W-well, the thing is, Ignis isn't here with us," Prompto stammered helplessly, trying to diffuse the brewing conflict. "He cooks all of our meals for us. Meals fit for royalty too, like you wouldn't believe. Otherwise, we just eat Cup Noodles or canned food."

 _Oh, so you are a fine cook too, my cunning little fox?_ Ravus thought to himself. Ravus, too, was quite an accomplished chef and took great pride in his cooking. Would they complement each other as well in the kitchen as they did on the battlefield?

"Incredible, you truly are a pathetic lot," Ravus sighed. "You cannot even cook for yourselves to save your life. Let me guess, he is your chauffer, too?"

"Well, actually…" Prompto started.

"Never mind, I should have known the answer to that," Ravus quickly said, cutting him off. "I wonder if you can do anything for yourselves without him. Prepare for take-off then. If you at least know how to operate a microwave without burning my ship down, there is some leftover Behemoth Goulash I made last week in the freezer."

With that, Ravus left the hapless duo in the kitchen and proceeded through the lounge to the front of the ship. He entered through the double doors to the cockpit, locking them behind him and sat down in the pilot's seat, placing his and Regis' sword against the seat next to him. Ravus started up the engines and let them idle to warm up before take-off. As he went through his pre-flight checklist, he pulled up live footage from his ship's security system so he could watch over and listen to the bumbling Shield and his friend to ensure they truly did not burn his ship down.

"Ooh, he pisses me off!" Gladio said, smashing his fist down on the marble countertop in the kitchen. "It's disgusting how condescending and pretentious he is! You can tell he thinks that he is better than we are!"

"Aw, he's not that bad," Prompto said, pulling the Behemoth Goulash out of the freezer and setting it in the microwave. "His ship's really nice, I dig it a lot. Plus, he called Noct King and he's helping us save Ignis. What more could you ask for?"

"What's with this sudden change? He has some ulterior motive, I know he does," Gladio said with suspicion, sitting down at the kitchen table.

"I think you're just still upset with how badly he whooped you at Aracheole Stronghold," Prompto stated, nudging Gladio with his fist.

"You take that back! I was just feeling off that day. I could beat him any day," Gladio shot back.

"Mmm, that's smelling really good! Smells just about as good as Ignis' cooking," Prompto said, changing the subject briefly. "Hey, how about we settle the matter over a game of King's Knight? I bet Ravus would whoop you again!"

"You're on!" Gladio yelled, pulling out his phone along with Prompto.

Ravus shook his head in amusement at the duo, then announced through his ship's speaker system, "Prepare for take-off." He then fully opened up the throttle and controlled the ship, stabilizing it as it rose up through the atmosphere. Through the windows, he could see the black, floating specks of the Starscourge mixed in with the clouds as _The Phoenix_ ascended. After climbing to the appropriate altitude, Ravus announced, "We are now cruising toward Zegnautus Keep. The estimated flight time is 6 hours and 13 minutes. Please enjoy your flight."

With that, Ravus set the controls on his ship to 'auto-pilot' with the destination being Zegnautus Keep, a feature he did not inform his guests about. Additionally, he set the cloaking feature on his ship to automatically activate when they were 100 miles away from the keep.

Finally alone with his thoughts, Ravus was unable to control himself any longer. Thinking of his beloved sister, Ravus collapsed in a heap of tears in the pilot's seat. Ever since he had broken down in front of Ignis, he had not been able to mourn for his sister any further. "Gods, why did you have to take her from me!" Ravus cried out between sobs. Truly, she had been the only constant in his life since that fateful day when General Glauca killed his mother in front of his and her eyes while Regis ran away with the young Noctis in his arms.

Since then, Luna had been the only one who mattered in his life. His one goal in life had been to keep his dear sister safe and get revenge on the Empire for taking their mother and kingdom away from them and on Regis for letting that happen, for abandoning them in their time of need. He remember with a smile how sweet it felt to sink his blade into Caligo in Altissia, the abhorrent man who tormented and physically abused his sister as a child. The man he had to work alongside with until Ignis fought him off and weakened him to the point that Ravus could simply stab him in the back and kill him. His sister's tormentor, dead by his blade, and he did not even get a chance to tell her the news.

His only family, his sister, the only one worth living for and fighting for, was now dead. Not only that, Ravus knew that he would be labeled as a traitor by the Empire, and Tenebrae was still under Niflheim's control. He would be a man not only without family, but also without a country.

Ravus sobbed even harder. _What use is there for me in this world?_ Ravus thought in despair. _I have failed you, my dear Lunafreya, the Oracle, and thus, have failed all of Eos._

Suddenly, the air cooled around him, the cockpit darkened and time seemed to slow down to a stop. He heard what sounded like a dog panting to his right. He looked beside him and saw Luna's white dog, Pryna, gazing up at him with her deep, blue eyes. He was mesmerized by her eyes and the fog of her breath condensing in the cool air as she panted.

"What? Pryna? How?" Ravus said in disbelief. Pryna howled and a bright, golden light emitted from her, filling the cockpit in warm brilliance. A piercing pain stabbed Ravus suddenly between his eyes. He held his face, collapsing, trying in vain to shut his eyes against the blinding white light that filled his vision.  
"Ravus," he heard Luna's voice call out softly.

"What? Luna? What's happening?"

"My dear brother, do not be afraid," Luna said gently. Slowly, Ravus opened his eyes. He was lying in a field of sylleblossoms, like the one they played in as children before everything was taken away from them. He lay before Luna at her feet. He slowly stood up, facing her with tears in his eyes.

"Ravus, you are the last of our blessed bloodline," Luna continued, smiling at Ravus. "You must continue to fight the Scourge that blights our world in my stead. I sense that your heart has changed. You now realize, through my and his beloved chamberlain's efforts, that Noctis is the One True King."

Luna reached forward and touched Ravus' face. "Noctis will soon enter into a 10 year slumber within the Crystal. He will then emerge as the One True King. At that time, you must pass on the Sword of the Father unto him. With the blessing of the Crystal, the Ring of the Lucii, and the Royal Arms including his father's sword, Noctis' power will exceed that of even the Gods, and he will be able to eliminate Eos of its Scourge forever." With that, Ravus saw a vision of himself, 10 years older, handing Noctis the Sword of the Father on the steps of the Citadel in Insomnia.

"Until then, my dear brother, you must continue to cleanse the world of the Starscourge and keep the darkness at bay. You, my brother, must ascend as the Oracle in my place and keep the world from plunging into ruin and darkness. Through you, the bloodline of the Oracle lives on." Luna said, now cradling his face with both hands.

"No, Luna, I cannot continue on without you," Ravus said, breaking down in tears again. "You are the Oracle and only females can ascend as Oracles. I do not have the power you were blessed with and I am unworthy of it at that." Ravus thought back to how much he had despised Regis and Noctis in the past. How he had failed to protect Luna. After all that, he would be granted the power of the Oracle? That could not be possible!

"Ravus," Luna continued softly. "That is not true. Although the first Oracle is depicted in Insomnia as female, in reality, the first Oracle was a King and was male. Ravus, do this for me. Do this for the King and all of Eos. Support Noctis while he slumbers and keep the Scourge at bay until his return. Please Ravus, accept this gift from me, your dear sister."

"Luna…I…" Ravus stammered in disbelief, wiping away his tears.

Luna held her hands, palms up, toward him, a ball of golden light forming within them. "Brother, besides Noctis, you are Eos' only hope. Only with the power of the Oracle can you keep darkness and chaos at bay. If you don't accept your calling, the world will plunge into ruin and the Scourge will run rampant until Noctis returns."

"Luna, thank you for your gift. I will live my life in honor of your memory and continue on with your work," Ravus said with conviction and gratitude. "I want to make you proud. I will support Noctis as the One True King and return his father's sword to him when it is time."

Luna smiled at Ravus. "I knew you would make the right decision, my dear brother. Remember, even in the darkest of times, when it seems that all hope is lost, I will always be with you, as will our ancestors."

With that, Ravus placed his hands in his sister's palms. As she grasped his hands, the golden light laced up his arms and then spread throughout his whole body. The light was warm, brilliant, electrifying. He could see wisps of darkness burning away from his magitek arm, the light of the Oracle cleansing the arm of its daemonic energy. His whole body was filled with a comforting warmth, which reminded him of his childhood, sitting beside a warm hearth beside his little sister during the cold, dark winter.

"Goodbye for now, dear brother," Luna said. Once again, Ravus' vision was filled with blinding white light. Through the light, he could faintly see visions. He saw himself laying his hands upon the sick stricken with the Starscourge, curing them with the light of the Oracle. Then, he saw himself exploring a tomb of a Lucian King along with Gladiolus, Prompto, Ignis and others he did not recognize, being led by Pryna. Next, he saw himself in the dark of night, fighting hordes of daemons alone, using his magitek arm to infuse his sword with the light of the Oracle. His sword, blessed with the golden light, sung and sliced through the daemons with ease, causing them to dissolve and burn away into nothingness. Finally, he saw himself bowing before Noctis sitting upon the throne in the Citadel in Insomnia, who then knighted him with the Sword of the Father.

Ravus felt a cold nose nuzzle him and a tongue lick his cheek. Ravus slowly came to and opened his eyes to find himself lying on the floor of the cockpit, Pryna licking him and whining. "Pryna… so it was real," Ravus whispered, patting the dog on her head. Looking at his hands, he saw the golden light Luna gifted him with slowly dissipate.

"By the Gods, Ravus!" he heard Prompto yell through the doors to the cockpit. "Are you okay? Wake up!"

Pryna turned around and disappeared in a flash of light. Ravus stood up slowly, surprisingly not feeling any kinks or soreness from lying on the floor of the cockpit.

 _Ugh, how long was I out?_ Ravus thought to himself. He looked through the window of the locked doors, seeing a concerned Prompto struggling to open the doors. He did not seem to have seen Pryna.

Ravus unlocked the doors and let Prompto in. "Dude, are you okay? It's been hours since we had last heard from you and Noct has finally woken up. I wanted to let you know and found you lying there on the floor. And how come you didn't tell us there was an autopilot function? You could have hung out and ate some of your delicious goulash with us."

Ravus wiped the sleep from his eyes. "Do not concern yourself with me. I'm fine," Ravus told Prompto. "I just needed some time to myself. You forget that I have just lost my sister. I must have fallen asleep."

"Cloaking feature activating," a robotic voice announced in the cockpit.

"Whoa, cool! There's a cloaking feature too? This ship has everything!" Prompto said in excitement.

"That means that we are only 15 minutes away from Zegnautus Keep," Ravus said quickly, amazed that he had been passed out for so long. "Please, let His Highness and Gladio know that we will be landing in Gralea shortly."

"You've got it," Prompto said before heading off.

Ravus looked at the camera to see an inconsolable Noctis sitting on the sofa in the lounge, Gladio with his arm around his shoulders.

"No! Why Luna? Why did she have to die? First, my dad, now her! It's not fair! And Iggy's in danger too? It's all because of me!" Noctis cried out in despair, slamming his fists down on his lap and choking on his sobs.

"Ravus said we only have 15 minutes until we land in Gralea," Prompto announced as he entered the lounge. He sat beside Noctis, rubbing his back in sympathy.

"Pull yourself together Noct," Gladio told Noct firmly, "Iggy is not gone yet. Now is not the time to grieve. You have to clear your head and be ready to fight if need be. For Iggy's sake."

Ravus felt his heart soften toward Noctis, seeing how much he was grieving for Luna. He could see the guilt Noctis was feeling at all the sacrifices that had been made for his sake. A feeling Ravus was all too familiar with.

"You're right Gladio," Noctis sniffled, wiping away his tears. "We have to save Iggy. I just hope we are not too late. I can't take losing anyone else."

"That's the spirit! With Ravus' help, I'm sure we will make it in time," Prompto said positively.

Ravus turned the autopilot off and firmly took control of _The Phoenix._ He guided the ship toward an obscure landing pad on the ground level Zegnautus Keep, announcing to his guests, "Prepare for landing." He pulled back on the throttle and stabilized the ship, guiding her to a smooth landing. The miasma of the Starscourge was especially thick over Gralea. As the ship passed through the dark fog, the sunlight from above was blocked out, immersing the area in a perpetual night. As soon as he felt the ship shudder to a stop, he turned the engines off.

After briefly stretching, he took up his and Regis' swords and entered the lounge from the cockpit. "Come, we must hurry if we are to save Ignis," Ravus said quickly to the trio. "Follow me and don't get left behind." He said this even though he had no idea where Ardyn would have taken Ignis within in the keep.

"You got it. Lead the way, Ravus," Noctis said with determination, his eyes still red and watery from grief.

With that, the four disembarked from _The Phoenix_ and proceeded into Zegnautus Keep.


	3. Chapter 3 - Ground Zero

**Chapter 3 – Ground Zero of the Fall of Zegnautus Keep**

 **Note:** I took some creative liberties with this chapter as the game never explains where "Ground Zero" occurred at Zegnautus Keep. I also explore why there are still plants within the World of Ruin in the game as they are deprived of sunlight, although I imagined that they would look much different than they would normally as they do in the game. I had a lot of fun exploring these concepts. I'm also really enjoying writing from Ravus' point of view, the snarky bastard that he is, and the brewing rivalry between him and Gladio. They can't both be the alpha males of the group, now can they? ;-)

I hope you all enjoy, Zegnautus Keep was originally going to be one chapter but it got too long when I decided to explore these ideas.

"Welcome to Zegnautus Keep, home of the Empire's pride and joy, Project Deathless. Where madness, research and military might reign supreme," Ravus told the group grimly. He had landed _The Phoenix_ on the ground level of the flying megafortress, by one of the numerous research facilities labeled "The Effects of the Starscourge on Flora" in hopes of avoiding detection. As High Commander of the Imperial Army, he had all of the security clearances necessary to get the group to where Ignis was being held. The only problem was, where would Ardyn have taken him?

"This place is creepy," Prompto quivered, looking around the abandoned ground level. "Where is everyone? I would have thought for sure that this place would be swarming with magitek soldiers and riflemen."

"You make an interesting observation, Prompto. I was thinking the same myself," Ravus said as he led the group past various tanks filled with Starscourge miasma. Red lights flashed and a shrill alarm was blaring, yet there were no signs of human life present. It appeared as though the whole facility had been abandoned in a hurry. Documents, office furniture, lab equipment and weapons coated with sticky black fluid were scattered everywhere haphazardly. Even whole sets of clothing lay strewn about, as if the scientists had disappeared into thin air right where they were standing. Broken shells of magitek soldiers were ripped apart by what appeared to be claws and teeth. Additionally, the metal was melted with an acid-like substance.

"Something terrible went down here," Noctis stated as he observed the chaos and destruction littering the grounds of the facility.

Even before, Ravus never did care for Zegnautus Keep. The huge, foreboding structure towered above the research facility. He viewed the bleak, industrial megafortress as the complete opposite of his beloved Fenestala Manor in Tenebrae. It was as if the structure was built to defy the Gods and nature itself, composed of nothing but glass, steel and concrete and powered completely magiteknology fueled by daemonic miasma. There were no traces of flora or fauna in sight within Gralea, unlike in Fenestala Manor, which flourished with the trees, greenery and animal life of the mountains of the Zoldara Henge it was built upon.

Besides the shrieking of the alarm and the crunching of broken glass underfoot, foreboding silence hung thick in the air. The facility and all of Gralea was shrouded in darkness by the heavy pall of the Starscourge that covered the sky as far as the eye could see. The only sources of light were emitted by magiteknology lights powered by the Starscourge. The air was bitterly cold, a byproduct of the corpse of the Glacian that lay just beyond Gralea in Ghorovas Rift, slaughtered by the Niflheim Empire. Ravus remembered the big news story that broke when the Empire accomplished this horrible feat and how the Imperial news media had twisted the murder of a Goddess into a positive light, claiming that they had staved off an everlasting blizzard that threatened to engulf all of Eos. His perceptive sister, of course, had told him the truth of the matter.

"I don't like the look of this at all," Gladiolus mumbled.

"I do not remember the grounds of the megafortress being so dark," Ravus told the group. Indeed, the atmosphere of Gralea had always appeared gray and hazy, but was never plunged in darkness like it was now. "Come now, we must proceed through here to reach the Keep."

Ravus led the group into the research facility, where the steel door had been torn off its hinges and strewn across the room. Ravus felt an atrocious energy humming in the air and heard hissing in the distance, as if steam was escaping from a vessel somewhere. A female voice, laughing in madness and singing unintelligibly in the distance, echoed within the large, metallic, cavernous structure. Numerous, ominous whispers, both male and female, were also heard indistinctly in the distance. Ravus held his magitek arm out to halt the group.

"Careful now," Ravus warned drawing his sword. "Whomever, _whatever_ that is, I don't think she will be friendly, nor will her company."

"Noted," Prompto said, cocking his pistol as Noctis and Gladio summoned forth their swords.

Ravus led the group past numerous sealed aquariums, dimly lit with electronic lights. Within were many different species of plants collected from all over Eos being bathed with the dark fog of the Starscourge. They were all in different stages of experimentation, with the plants in the earliest stages simply having dark veins within their leaves, to those in the latest stages of experimentation appearing purple to black, swaying and moving with the power of the daemonic energy. One massive tropical plant had even developed vines adorned with red thorns, dripping with black fluid, which were thrashing against the glass of the huge tank that housed it, trying to snare the group as they walked past it. It appeared as though the plants exposed to the Starscourge would eventually transform and adapt to feed off it instead of sunlight. In addition, it appeared that they would have an appetite for other living things as well.

"I'm glad that thing's in there and not out here," Prompto said quietly as he looked at the daemonic plant in horror.

"So, this is what the Starscourge does to plants," Noctis said. "I would hate to see what Eos would become if it was infested with this stuff. I don't even want to know what else the Empire was experimenting on."

"Nor do you," Ravus acknowledged, thinking about all the twisted experiments the Empire performed on animals and people, even on infants torn from their mothers while they were still within the womb.

"The hell? And you served these bastards?" Gladio said, looking at Ravus in disgust.

"Do not question my motivations, _boy_ ," Ravus said with disdain. "You know nothing of the loss and pain I have endured, how everything was taken away from me. Perhaps one day, when your mother's milk evaporates off your lips, when you experience how cruel fate can be and learn what true loss is, I will explain my passionate, yet somewhat misguided, incentives for my previous actions. To explain them to you now would achieve nothing."

"What? Call me boy one more time and I'll-" Gladio growled before being cut short.

"G-g-guys, now's not the time!" Prompto stammered, pointing his gun deeper into the facility, looking about frantically. The female's frenzied laughing and singing was clearly audible now right above them.

"Lovely, festering fog

Coursing through my veins

Feeding me with supreme power

Beyond my wildest dreams!

My beloved Iedolas,

Now the fearsome King Foras,

We have achieved the unattainable!

All because of me!

We shall rule over this realm

And all of Eos with our daemonic army

Forevermore!"

The sound of hissing steam was now right next to them. Ravus looked to his right and saw that the hissing was coming from a tank that was supposed to be holding the Starscourge. There was a huge gash in the tank that appeared to have been purposely inflicted, and the dark fog was steaming out from it, blanketing the air and surrounding area in gloom. Based on the content of the song, whomever had been singing had intentionally damaged the tank and released the Starscourge into the now derelict facility.

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" the singing, sinister voice of an older female said and laughed manically. Ravus recognized the voice to belong to Madame Agatha, the mad scientist in charge of the Flora research sector they were in. Based upon the song they had just heard, it appeared as though the illicit rumors surrounding Emperor Aldercapt and Madame Agatha were true.

What was once Madame Agatha descended from the rafters on dark, leathery wings. She resembled a huge, daemonic bat, glaring at them with yellow, gleaming eyes. She smiled, her short snout revealing a set of teeth, dripping with thick, black venom. "Ah, it's Lord Ravus, along with the wretched Prince of Lucis? Do you bring him as a sacrifice to King Foras, and myself, Queen Lamashtu, the rulers of this realm?" With that, she extended her clawed wings, revealing huge breasts that appeared to be heavy with milk and a profoundly pregnant belly. Ravus shuddered at the thought of what daemonic spawn writhed within her. It was surely the offspring of some unholy union between herself and Foras, since as humans, they were both too old to produce children of their own. She sneered at Ravus, "Allow me to bite you and feast upon your blood, so that you may become one of us and gain powers beyond your wildest comprehension. Come now, it won't hurt. You belong to the Empire, after all." Once again, she revealed her jagged teeth, licking her lips and the black venom at her teeth with a forked tongue. Her tail, bristling with razor sharp spines, thumped upon the ground with a fervent, almost sexual anticipation of tasting human blood. "How ironic it will be, the last of the wretched bloodline of Nox Fleuret turned into a daemon! The thought of it fills me with great pleasure! Mwahaha!"

"Never!" Ravus declared with conviction, looking up at her in disgust. "With Lady Lunafreya dead, I have no reason to serve and protect her from the Empire any longer. I now fight alongside the True King, Noctis. You do not stand a chance against myself, the King and his retinue. For darkness shall always fall to the light."

"Foolish, dimwitted human," Queen Lamashtu launched herself upward, the wind from her wings almost causing Ravus and the group to fall backward. "Your resolve will mean nothing when the Starscourge rules over all of Eos. Fine, have it your way. Once I kill your friends, I will torture you slowly and feast upon your sweet blood. You _will_ become my servant in the end. Attack! Kill them all with the exception of your former High Commander!" she screamed.

"Yes, your Vileness," male and female voices echoed from the fog. The dark miasma in front of them coagulated into the forms of numerous types of daemons, which Ravus guessed was Agatha's former scientists and secretaries. Numerous, pale-skinned goblin-like Snaga appeared to combat the group, as well a spider-like female Arachne, spawning smaller Tarantulas in an attempt to overwhelm the group. There were also other daemons the group had never seen before but had heard of in bestiaries published by hunters—horned, naked, chicken-like abominations called Nikuras that bore hooded heads like cobras and beady black eyes. The Nikuras sprinted around, spitting acid-like venom from their beaks and cackling.

"Ahh!" Noctis screamed, stabbing at the Tarantulas, as Gladio quickly blocked one of the Nikura's acid blasts with his shield. Quickly switching the shield out for his sword, he made quick work of one of the Snaga, lopping off its head in one clean swipe.

Prompto fired multiple shots in quick succession, felling a Nikura as it charged at him with its beak open. "There's so many of them!"

"Less talking, more fighting," Gladio grunted as he smashed through three Tarantulas with his shield.

Ravus turned his attention toward the Arachne, while the others focused on the group of Snagas. "You have bitten off more than you can chew, daemon spawn," Ravus said confidently, side stepping quickly as the Arachne flew through the air, raining lightning sparks upon the ground as she charged forward. "Witness the fury of the Storm!" Ravus drew his magitek arm across his sword. To his surprise, the electricity his arm left upon his sword shone with a golden light instead of bluish as it had before. The daemoness screamed out in fear at the sight of the light, covering her eyes. "What is this? The light of the Oracle? It can't be!"

Amazed but not questioning it, Ravus quickly sliced through the Arachne. Immediately, the daemoness was felled, screaming in pain and despair as the dark miasma composing it dissipated. He was surprised that such a powerful daemoness was killed in one swipe. Even though he was strong, Arachnes usually put up more of a fight than that.

Ravus turned his attention back to the group. Noctis warp-striked and impaled a Nikura with his Engine Blade, before rising up and shooting down a Snaga with the Bow of the Clever. Ravus sliced through another Snaga that was about to strike at Prompto's back with his empowered sword, causing the daemon to fade away into nothingness like the Arachne.

"I tire of this," Ravus said indifferently, jumping up into the air and striking at the ground with his magitek arm, performing his signature move "Last Rites." Again, the lightning sparks that erupted from the ground shown with a golden light, obliterating all of the daemons caught within the blast. Gladio sliced down the last remaining Nikura.

"Whoa, I'm glad you're on our side and not theirs," Prompto said in awe.

"Nooo! How can this be?!" the daemoness Lamashtu screeched in despair. She quickly swooped down, grabbing Prompto with her talons, flying away with him into the rafters. "If I can't defeat you, I will settle for transforming your lovely, golden-haired companion into a daemon! Even if I die, my venom will not! I will die in ecstasy knowing that you will watch your friend twist into a daemon, unable to do anything to stop it! Hahaha!"

"Help me! Nooo!" Prompto yelled out as the daemoness sank her fangs deep into his torso. "Ahhh, Noct! It burns!"

"No, Prompto!" Noct cried out in desperation. He warp-striked the daemoness and slashed at her feverishly in wrath. He conjured forth his Armiger of Royal Arms, which proceeded to strike at her from all directions. The daemoness howled in agony, unable to dodge or block from the furious onslaught of Royal Arms. Noctis finished her off with a magical fire grenade, which burned her and the surrounding environment to a crisp. Noctis picked Prompto up and warped down to the ground with him.

"Oh no, Prompto. Don't tell me I've failed you too," Noctis sobbed, leaning over his fallen friend.

Prompto whimpered in pain and coughed, a thick, black liquid bubbling up from his mouth. His blackened veins were visible through his skin, turning pale, coursing with the Starscourge. Ravus had never seen the Starscourge infect someone and progress so quickly before. Usually it took a few days, if not weeks, to progress as far as it was now. At this rate, he would fully transform into a daemon in less than an hour. "Noct, Gladio, Ravus," he said with effort, struggling to speak. "Go, save Iggy. Don't worry about me."

"No, we are not leaving you! Not like this," Noctis cried, hugging his friend.

"Step aside," Ravus said. It was time to put the powers that Luna had gifted to him to the test. Kneeling down beside Prompto, he gently lifted up Prompto's head with both hands. Prompto's eyes were already turning black and teeth turning into fangs, the dark, thick fluid flowing from the corners of his eyes and mouth as he coughed and sputtered. Ravus placed his forehead against Prompto's and closed his eyes. He imagined the golden light radiating from him to Prompto and soon after felt the warm, energizing tingling that he had felt in his vision with Luna earlier.

He repeated the words that he had heard his sister state as she was healing the sick countless times before, "Blessed stars of life and light, deliver us from darkness' blight."

He opened his eyes and looked at Prompto, who gasped in amazement. All traces of the Starscorge's blight evaporated away from Prompto as the golden light enveloped them both. With the effects of the Starscourge reversed and Prompto fully healed, Ravus rose up and extended a hand to Prompto, pulling him up to his feet and patting his back. Noct and Gladio stared at Ravus in disbelief, mouths agape in astonishment.

Turning to Gladio, Ravus raised an eyebrow and said nonchalantly, "Doubt my intentions now, _boy_?" Before he could reply, Ravus turned toward the elevator now directly in front of them and scanned his badge, which caused the doors to open. "Now, let us ascend into the heart of Zegnautus Keep. Hopefully, there will be no more distractions."

The four stepped inside as the elevator and rode it upward into Zegnautus Keep.


	4. Chapter 4 - The One Who Defied Fate

**Note:** This chapter marks the end of the content we see in Episode:Ignis, outside the scenes in the credits and alternate ending. I did take some liberties with the scene before the Crystal, adding some more details between Noct Ignis' interaction. There will probably be just one more chapter in Zegnautus Keep... hopefully. Just like in the game, this place just keeps going on on on... but I simply must get them through soon, so Ravus can start trying to woo Ignis :-P

 **Chapter 4 – The One Who Defied Fate**

As the group rode in the elevator, Prompto turned to Ravus with a smile on his face and said, "Dude, thanks! For a moment there, I thought I was a goner! It totally would have sucked turning into a daemon. There would've been no more riding Chocobos in the sunshine for me." He then wrapped his arm around the other three men, whipped out his camera and exclaimed, "This calls for a photo! Look alive everyone!"

Despite himself, Ravus found that Prompto's energy, his positive outlook despite dire circumstances, was really growing on him. When he had first encountered him and Gladiolus, he was expecting to find Prompto's liveliness insufferable. In spite of almost being turned into a daemon and losing himself, he was joking around and shooting pictures as if nothing had ever happened. In addition, it was remarkable that Prompto was still as spirited as he was, as Ravus remembered from his sister that victims cured of the Starscourge still felt a residual burning sensation throughout their bodies and a general malaise for up to several days afterward.

"So, Ravus, what you did back there… you saw Luna, didn't you?" Noct said knowingly. "Does that mean you are the new Oracle?"

"I did. She faced her fate without fear nor hesitation. Always with a smile on her face. Even after her death, the work of the Oracle will continue on. Along with her unexpected gift, Luna also gave me a new lease on life. I only hope I can live up to her expectations and do her memory justice," Ravus answered earnestly, then turned toward Noct. "She truly did care for you… I always looked upon you with contempt, as a spoiled brat who did not appreciate the sacrifices she made for you. However, she showed me that I was mistaken. Judging by the brief time we have traveled together, you are as much a product of cruel fate as I am. For that, I must ask for your forgiveness, Noct."

"Ravus," Noct said, placing his hand on Ravus' shoulder. "There's no need to apologize. Heck, I probably would've felt the same way if I was in your shoes. I always knew you were a good guy deep down inside. Luna loved and trusted you, after all."

"Thank you," Ravus said.

Suddenly, the somber moment was interrupted. "Gladio, what's with the long face? Liven up dude!" Prompto nudged him, smiling, after noticing the scowl on his face in the picture he had just taken.

"It's…nothing," Gladio growled. "Let's just focus on saving Iggy."

The elevator slowed and stopped. As the group exited, Prompto prodded Gladio further, joking, "Like I said before, I think _someone's_ still upset about what went down during Operation Bust-a-Base."

"By the Gods, Prompto," Noctis began laughing uncontrollable, cracking a smile for the first time since he regained unconsciousness aboard _The Phoenix_. "You're right! _Somebody_ got his ass handed to him! Hahaha!"

"Shut it, you guys. I wasn't feeling very good that day," Gladio shot back.

"Suure," Noct said in jest.

Ravus smirked but prudently chose to keep out of their argument for now, knowing that he was not yet close enough with the group to join them in their quips. The White Wolf was confident in his abilities and combat prowess and knew that he could beat Gladiolus again a million times over. Until the larger, physically stronger man learned incorporate wit and strategy into his approach in battle rather than relying on brute strength alone, Ravus was sure he would continue to best Gladio in battle.

 _Unlike my cunning fox,_ Ravus thought to himself, once again fantasizing about the dance Ignis weaved around him in battle, gracefully deflecting and punishing every blow he threw at him. His sleek, lithe form, the warmth that radiated from him whenever he leaned in close as they traded blows. The intoxicating scent of oak moss, patchouli, and an underlying hint of lilies, blended together with the sweet musk of his sweat that wafted over him as Ignis leaned over him, one of his spell-daggers stuck in his magitek arm. The scent that caused Ravus to come back to his senses and free him from the grief-stricken rage that ensnared him upon seeing his beloved sister lying dead next to Noctis.

Clearing his mind of his daydream, Ravus looked at the corridors that lay before him. There were three different directions the group could go, straight ahead, to the left or to the right. The problem was, where would Ardyn have taken Ignis?

"What are we waiting for?" Gladio said, losing his patience. "Which way, Ravus?"

"Hmm," Ravus pondered and then suggested. "My guess is that Ardyn would have taken your friend into the dungeons. Let us head that way first."

Ravus started heading toward the left but was stopped by a familiar bark. Turning to the corridor directly ahead from the elevator, Ravus saw Pryna at the end of the hallway, panting, gazing at him expectantly with her deep blue eyes. She turned around eagerly and sat back down, as if she were beckoning him to follow her.

He turned and looked back at Noctis and his friends, who were looking at him in anticipation. Once again, it appeared as though he was the only one who could see and hear Pryna.

"Let's go!" Noct said, the worry for Ignis apparent on his face.

"Of course. On second thought, let us proceed straight ahead. Something is telling me your friend is that way," Ravus said quickly.

"I hope you're right," Gladio muttered.

As Pryna led them through the many convoluted twists and turns of the labyrinthine Zegnautus Keep, Ravus was again struck by how empty and desolate the megafortress was. It was surreal to see the Keep, usually bustling with the activity of scientists and the magitek infantry like a hive of bees, utterly devoid of life. The corridors were silent except for their echoing footsteps and the buzzing of the lights powered by magitek energy. Again, as in the Flora research sector they had passed through earlier, the atmosphere felt heavy with an underlying sense of dread and terror. Clearly, the corruption of the Starscourge had extended encompass all of Zegnautus Keep, perhaps even all of Gralea. All because of Niflheim's lust for power.

Ignoring his unease, Ravus pressed onward after Pryna. At this point, he was blindly following the white dog. He thought he knew Zegnautus Keep like the back of his hand, however, Pryna led him through twists and turns he swore he did not even know existed. It appeared as though the rumors of secret passageways accessible only the highest of the Imperial hierarchy were true, and somehow, Pryna was able to access them. If he lost sight of her, he knew they would be hopelessly lost within the labyrinth. What was even more remarkable was the fact that despite the air being heavy with the Starscourge, no one, no _thing_ , was confronting them to attack them, as if they were being held at bay by an unseen force.

The group emerged into the vacant hangar bay of Zegnautus Keep. Ravus was somewhat disappointed to see that it was just as empty here as it was the rest of the megafortress, as he had avoided landing _The Phoenix_ there due to the heavy security that was normally present in the hangar. Numerous MAX units and tanks flanked either side of the hangar, silent sentinels over the dead megafortress.

"Whoa, this place is huge!" Prompto said. "I so wish we had more time. Imagine, me in one of those MAX units, it'd be so cool!"

"This place is unnerving," Ravus said to himself. Seeing the hanger filled him with a sense familiarity and of impending doom, almost as if he had suffered some terrible fate here in another lifetime. "Let us not linger here for too long. The central elevator is just beyond here."

"I agree, no time to lose. This place gives me the creeps," Noct said, cautiously scanning the environment for an ambush, as if he was expecting a fight.

"Wusses," Gladio taunted.

"Ah, the central elevator. From here, we can easily access any part of the Keep we need to," Ravus said.

"Hey, guys, do you hear that?" Prompto said.

The sounds of an arduous conflict raged above them, reverberating throughout the chamber that housed the central elevator. Blades seethed through the air and clashed against one another. Additionally it sounded as if the very elements were fighting against each other above them: flames erupted and exploded, lightning crackled through the air, and fierce blizzard winds lashed through the air. The zings of warp-striking and phasing were spliced throughout the cacophony of the battle.

"What, warp-striking? But how?" Noct said in disbelief.

"The top level… that is where the Empire is housing the Crystal," Ravus said.

"I've got a bad feeling about this. Hurry!" Gladio said.

Not wasting any time, Ravus and the group ran alongside Pryna into the central elevator. They remained silent in anticipation as they ascended.

After what seemed like a decade, the elevator stopped. The group ran down a corridor flanked by bright white lights, Pryna leading the way.

At the end of the hall, it appeared as though a war had taken place right before the Crystal's presence. Piles of smoldering debris, shattered concrete, twisted metal, and broken glass bore testament to the fierce battle that had just taken place moments before.

As Pryna cantered across the battlefield and sat in front of the Crystal, Ravus turned his attention to the combatants who had caused so much devastation in the wake of their battle. Ravus' heart skipped a beat as he let out a gasp in distress. One of them was none other than his beautiful, cunning little fox, Ignis.

He stood, hunched over, holding his eyes, panting as if he had just fought through hell and back. To his dismay, he saw that Ignis was wearing the Ring of the Lucii, the very thing that had rejected Ravus and taken away his arm. Although it looked as though the Ring had bequeathed Ignis with its powers, it had done so at a terrible price. The purple flames that licked at his eyes faded away, leaving those striking emerald eyes scarred and shut. Additionally, it appeared as though those flames had coursed through Ignis' veins like invigorated but cursed blood, scorching his skin and leaving behind an ashen pallor laced with smoldering embers. The normally prim and proper chamberlain was completely disheveled, dirty blonde hair hanging down, and framing his face. Ravus bemused that this wild, fiery appearance suited him, if it wasn't for the fact that he was near death.

Ignis fell to the ground on his hands and knees from sheer exhaustion. Ravus bared his teeth in anger as he saw the identity of the remaining combatant on the field, none other than the menace, Ardyn. The red haired fiend staggered forward, stretching his hand out toward Ignis, saying "The best laid plans, eh? It may have eluded me for now, but rest assured: I shall have my revenge." With that, Ardyn toppled forward and dissipated into a black and purple cloud of daemonic miasma.

Ignis collapsed to the ground, sobbing and moaning in agony, tearing a hole into Ravus' heart as he did so. Seeing the others looking at Ignis in shock and concern, Ravus buried his emotions, kept his voice straight and said, "You three go tend to your friend. I will guard the rear to ensure we are not attacked by the Empire or otherwise." While Ravus wanted nothing more than to rush forward and join them in helping Ignis, he figured prudence would be the best approach in his hunt for his desired mate. He did not want to frighten the fox or his friends in his eagerness. Instead, he chose to stand back and observe the intricacies of the relationships Ignis shared with his fellow comrades.

"Ignis!" Noct yelled, warping forward and leaning down next to Ignis.

"…Noct? But how?" Ignis asked softly, as Gladio and Prompto caught up to Noct.

"Ravus. He lent us a hand, if you can believe it," Prompto replied.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Gladio cried. Ravus was surprised to hear Gladio's grief-stricken plea. Gladio gazed upon his Ignis with tears in his eyes, trying to choke them back. Ravus did not like the way Gladio looked at Ignis. He could have sworn that Gladio was looking at Ignis like an old possessive lover, like he belonged to him. However, Ignis did not seem to respond or reciprocate his impassioned plea, though maybe it was because Ignis was delirious with pain.

 _Perhaps it is my mind playing tricks on me,_ Ravus thought to himself as he continued to watch the interaction.

Prompto began crying too, "How could we let this happen?" Prompto, unlike Gladio, appeared to have a respectful, almost childlike, grief toward Ignis' plight. Perhaps he thought of Ignis more like an older brother or even a parental figure. With as much responsibility as Ignis took in looking out for the groups' physical well-being, Ravus would not be surprised if that was the case.

The most poignant of interactions appeared to be between Noct and Ignis. He propped Ignis up, held him and caressed him. Gazing at Ignis with tears in his eyes, he cried, "How could _I_ let this happen? This is all my fault."

Ignis, gasping in pain, tried to gaze into Noct's eyes despite being unable to see. Many emotions flooded over Ignis' face as he lay there on the edge of death, tears streaming down his ashen face from his scarred eyes, being cradled by Noct, the object of his devotion and loyalty. After seeing Ignis fight tooth and nail against him in Altissia, Ravus suspected that he had been willing to fight to the death for Noctis against Ardyn. Although they did not outwardly express it, the way they spoke to each other, looked at each other and the body language the king and his chamberlain displayed toward each other spoke more words than volumes could. Instead of feeling anger as he did toward Gladio, Ravus felt a fondness toward the strong bond of love and devotion the two shared with each other.

Despite the myriad of emotions his face displayed, the only thing Ignis had the strength to say was his name, "Noooct…"

Noct, sobbing, wiped away Ignis' tears, and brushed his hair out of his face, much like a gentle lover would. Noct looked Ignis' face with a sense of hopelessness and despair at the misfortune that had befallen his beloved chamberlain. Noct said in between sobs, "If I'm really some kind of savior, then why can't I save the ones I love? I'm sorry."

Noct turned toward the rest, not daring to let go of Ignis for this intense brief moment and said, "You guys have stayed with me this whole time… and all it's done is caused you pain." Noct picked up Ignis' ashen hand, caressing it for a moment before taking the Ring of Lucii off of it. With conviction, Noct firmly put the ring on, a blue light shining from it in response. Noct looked up in determination and declared, "Not anymore. All that ends now."

Turning to the Crystal and extending his hand toward it, he both pleaded and commanded, "Please… lend me your strength! Help me protect my friends!"

With that, Pryna howled and there was a flash of light that expanded in front of the Crystal. In an instant, Lunafreya was standing where Pryna was just a second before, holding the Trident of the Oracle. The blue light of the Crystal flowed out from behind her, enveloping her. Smiling, she extended her trident toward Ignis and Noct. The Crystal's light curled and laced along her trident. As the light channeled through her trident, it became flecked with sylleblossom petals. The light and sylleblossom petals flowed toward the pair and swirled around Ignis. Amazingly, his ashen skin and scorched eyes melted away, healing him of the worst of his wounds. Other than some of the deeper scars and nicks around his eyes and face, Ignis was completely healed.

Ravus rubbed his eyes, unable to believe what he was seeing. As before on _The Phoenix_ , time seemed to slow down and stop, the atmosphere around him cooling and darkening. The Crystal's light and Luna, however, shown as brightly as they had before, making them all the more striking.

"My dear brother," Luna said, smiling. "Before you lies the humble, blessed servant of the King chosen by the Crystal, he who was ready to sacrifice everything to save his King. The blessed servant, after seeing the vision I sent him of what was to befall his beloved King, had the courage to fight against destiny and defy fate. Little did he know that the King is not the only one he would save from a terrible fate." Luna winked with a giggle and, briefly, a vision that would haunt his nightmares invaded Ravus' mind.

He saw the King and his retinue in the hanger they had traveled through to save Ignis. Everything appeared the same except his dear Ignis was blind, his beautiful eyes permanently scarred shut, following the others with an ornate cane extended before him to guide his path. The group stopped before the large hangar doors. Ardyn's ominous, mocking voice boomed over the Keep's speaker system, "Your Majesty, your precious Crystal awaits you. To liven things up, I thought I'd take you on a stroll down memory lane. Of course, memories decay with time."

As the hangar door slowly opened, Ravus cried out in despair as to what emerged from behind them. It was a deformed visage of himself, clothing tattered, towering over the others, half human, half daemon. Corrupted by the Starscourge, the left half of the defiled Ravus was covered with what look to be pitch black obsidian. A huge horn crowned the left side of his head and his magitek arm was replaced by a massive, clawed arm with massive spikes extending from his shoulder and elbow. The scaly black scourge that covered the left side of his chest pulsated like a heart. From the right, more human side of himself, the black Starscourge flowed down from the corners of his eye and mouth, evidence to the misery he was surely experiencing. "No!" Ravus yelled as he saw himself, moaning and then screaming in daemonic agony, staggering out of the hangar doors toward Noct and his friends, pleading, "Kill me…end it…"

"Is that Ravus?" Gladio asked incredulously.

"Or what's left of him." Prompto replied in horror.

"Dammit," Noct muttered as he warp-striked Ravus, barely even scratching the daemonic mockery of himself.

"Ardyn…curse you…" the daemonic Ravus growled as he staggered, then zipped across with hangar with unnatural speed, easily knocking the four off of their feet. Gladio staggered up first, wound up, and launched himself in a cyclone with his great sword. Noct linked in at the end of Gladio's attack with a jumping slice from his Engine Blade. Prompto shot multiple times from afar, but despite these strikes, the daemonic Ravus seemed to be undaunted. He plunged clawed arm into the ground, causing black and purple energy to snake up from the ground and strike Noctis. The scourge covering Ravus started to gleam purple as the fight continued.

"We're in for a long fight," Gladio said grimly, leaping quickly back to avoid a strike from Ravus' clawed arm. Gladio punished his attack with a crushing blow down on his arm with his great sword, causing daemon Ravus to scream out in pain.

Seeing Ignis helplessly stagger about, blindly slashing at the air with one of his daggers, tripping over his own feet at times, himself as a heartless daemon on top of him, unable to control his actions and attacking the helpless retainer and the others…it was all more than he could bear to watch.

"Enough!" Ravus cried, vainly covering his eyes with his hands and wishing not to see any more of the horrible vision.

Thankfully, the vision left as soon as it had come. When Ravus opened his eyes, Luna was still there, standing before the Crystal. She said, "The humble and blessed servant who defied fate to save his King also saved you, my dear brother. He has also changed the course of destiny for many others, nay, that of all of Eos. Fate has been ripped away from the whims of the Astrals and given to mankind.

"I, along with the Crystal, have listened to Noctis' command to heal his friend, not only for him, but also for you, Ravus. For I am not the only one who deserves contentment and romance. I will finally get to be with Noctis while he enters into Reflection within the Crystal. I see how you look at Ignis, my dear brother. You may be able to hide your emotions from his friends, but you cannot hide them from me," Luna said with a laugh and winked at Ravus.

"Perceptive as ever, my dear sister," Ravus chuckled, knowing how his sister could always tell how he was feeling just by looking at him. "Thank you, Luna. I am forever in your debt."

"Continue the work of the Oracle, Ravus. Heal the afflicted and keep the scourge at bay until Noctis' return," Luna said.

Time began to flow again.

Nodding to Gladio and Prompto, Noctis released his grip on Ignis. Gladio held him up eagerly in Noct's place, with Prompto grasping Ignis' shoulder in support. Ignis slowly opened his eyes, squinting against the light he was able to see again suddenly.

Luna stepped aside Noct warped to platform in front of the Crystal, embracing him and kissing him on the cheek. Noct, unable to see Luna, turned back to look at Ignis one more time. Ignis nodded in approval, knowing that Noct had to go into the Crystal to ascend as the True King. Noct gave a determined nod back in response, then turned and entered into the Crystal with a clear mind and purpose. Luna giggled and entered into the Crystal, following Noct.

Ravus walked forward toward the group. Ignis, still exhausted from the battle, slipped into unconsciousness. Gladio and Prompto looked at the Crystal in shock, seemingly unable to comprehend what just happened.

"Uh, so, Noct just disappeared into the Crystal?" Gladio asked, still holding Ignis closely. As Ravus expected, there was no mean of Pryna or Luna.

"I guess so. Man, that sucks. What do we do now?" Prompto replied, getting up and peering into the Crystal, trying to see if he could see Noctis.

"Is it not obvious to you?" Ravus said to the duo, walking past them to look at the Crystal. "Just as my sister did, Noctis has embraced his calling and willingly entered into Reflection. Only by his hand, with the Light of Providence gained from within the Crystal can the True King cleanse our star from its scourge forever. As it is, Ardyn is not dead, merely indisposed. I suggest we leave this place and head back to _The Phoenix_ quickly."

Seeing the shadows moving around the perimeter of the chamber, kept at bay by the Crystal's light, the others quickly acknowledged their agreement.

Ravus bent down next to Ignis and extended his magitek arm, offering to Gladio, "Allow me to carry Ignis. It would be my honor to bear the weight of one who showed such devotion to the King."

"No, I've got him," Gladio said brusquely, snatching Ignis up and away from Ravus, holding him close to his chest. He glared down at Ravus as he said, "He's our friend. I've been with him through thick and thin and we practically raised Noct together. Carrying him is the least I can do."

"So be it," Ravus replied, ignoring the larger man's display of dominance. "Keep up and don't get in my way."

Ravus led the trio into the central elevator, explaining, "We will have no choice but to go through the hangar again. There is a more straight-forward path from there back to the Flora research sector."

"So, Ravus, we're, like, really in your debt," Prompto said. "Since Noct is gone, I really don't know what we're gonna do now. Well, maybe Ignis will know once he wakes up."

Prompto paused briefly in thought, then continued, "Hopefully you won't mind Gladio, but since you helped us out so much, is there any way we can repay you, Ravus?"

Gladio shot Prompto a look, but said begrudgingly, "Yeah, I guess I should've trusted you. You've proven you're a man of your word in any case. If it wasn't for you, Ignis would be gone. I'm down to repay the favor."

"Well, if I may impose, come with me to Tenebrae," Ravus replied. "I worry that the Empire will brand me a traitor and attack Tenebrae. I could use capable fighters such as yourselves to stave off the impending attack. When I fought beside him, I observed that Ignis is an accomplished tactician. He could guide us in building up our defenses around Tenebrae prior to the attack and planning strategies for the upcoming battle. Perhaps with your help, Tenebrae can finally throw off the shackles of Imperial control and become her own country again. If you choose to accept my proposal, you will stay at Fenestala Manor as honored guests, not only now, but anytime you visit Tenebrae in the future."

"Oh man, Gladio, we would get to stay in Fenestala Manor? The landscape there is so cool, just think of all the photos I could take there! And we'd get to enjoy all of that famous Tenebraen cuisine!" Prompto exclaimed, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Well, I guess that means we're in," Gladio said with slight resignation. "I just hope Ignis agrees with our decision."

"I'm sure he will, Gladio. Remember, he's still trying to recreate that dessert for Noct. What better place to learn how to make it than in Tenebrae? " Prompto replied.

"Hah, the King will have a nice surprise for him once he decides to come outta that Crystal," Gladio mused.

"Then, it's settled." Ravus said. "We shall depart for Tenebrae posthaste once we board _The Phoenix._ "


End file.
